Combined toy and water sprinkling device



1950 D. cs. WESTOVER ETAL 2,921,743

COMBINED TOY AND WATER SPRINKLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 13, 1958 l/FTl/VfiR0701? FUEL l.

E2415 E- T llVVE/V TOPS YMAN Z4 7/. A TToAA/f) United States Patent MCOMBINED TOY AND WATER SPRINKLING DEVICE Dwight G. Westover and Wyman L.Larson,

" Monrovia, Calif.

This invention relates to a combined toy and water sprinkling device foruse in sprinkling lawns, gardens and the like. v r

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a watersprinkling device which is easily maneuverable to sprinkle relativelylarge areas from a single fixed position.

Another object is to provide a water sprinkling device which willsprinkle or spray evenly throughout a relatively large area.

A further object is to provide a water sprinkling device in the form ofa toy which is highly attractive to children as well as adults.

A further object is to provide a water powered flying captive helicopterhaving provisions for spraying Water therefrom.

A still further object is to provide a fluid powered flying captivehelicopter which obviates the need for contra rotating rotors or otherdevices for stabilizing the helicopter against torque developed by thelifting rotor.

The manner in which the above and other objects of the invention areaccomplished will be readily understood on reference to the followingspecification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawingwherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a water powered helicopter embodying apreferred form of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view, partly in section, with parts brokenaway, of the helicopter, and is taken along the line 2--2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, with parts broken away of thehelicopter, and is taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the sprinkling device comprises a miniaturehelicopter body or shell 11 which may be formed of thin metal or plasticmaterial. Two laterally extending partitions 12 and 13 extend betweenthe side walls of the body to form a turbine wheel compartment 14. Thelatter is bounded at its top by a central partition 15 extending betweenthe partitions 12 and 13.

A rotor shaft 16 is journaled in aligned bearings 17, 18 and 19 formedin the walls of the shell and partition 15. The shaft is attached at itsupper end to a multibladed rotor 20, each of the blades of which havesuch an aerodynamic cross sectional shape as to raise the body when theshaft is rotated.

A turbine wheel \21 is pinned at to the rotor shaft 16 within thecompartment 14 and a thrust bearing ring 22 is interposed between theturbine wheel and the hearing 19 to prevent upward movement of the shaftrelative to the body. A collar 23 is suitably attached to the shaftadjacent the bearing 18 to prevent movement of the shaft downwardlyrelative to the body.

In order to direct a jet of water against the blades of the turbinewheel, a tubular formation 24 is formed 2,921,743 Patented Jan. 19, 1960integral with one side of the body and is provided with a passagedirected toward the blades of the wheel and in line with a catch passage25. The latter opens at one end into the compartment 14 and at itsopposite end through the lower wall of the shell.

A-water deflector 26- is mounted in the lower portion of the passage 25.The latter has a conical head portion 27 and a screw threaded shank 28adjustably threaded in a boss 29 which is supported centrally of thepassage 25 by wings 30.

In order to supply water under pressure from a suitable source of water,a semi-rigid tubing 32 is provided, the latter being attached at one endto an outwardly projecting portion of the tubular formation 24 and atits opposite end to a suitable manually controlled valve 33, which isattached to a hose 31. The latter may be attachedto a water hydrant orthe like (not shown) to convey water to the valve.

When the valve 33 is opened the water under pressure will be conveyedthrough the tubing 32 and will be emitted in the form of a jet stream bythe tubular formation 24 to impinge on the turbine Wheel 21, causing thelatter to rotate and thus drive the rotor 20 to lift the shell.

The major portion of the stream striking the turbine blade will becollected in the passage 25 and thus deflected downwardly to strike theconical head 27 where it will be broken up into a spray and, at the sametime, will be deflected outwardly to uniformly cover a relatively largearea.

A pair of openings 34 formed in the lower wall of the shell below theturbine wheel will permit any water entrapped in the compartment 14 toescape.

By using a tubing 32 of semi-rigid material such as soft aluminum, thebody 11 of the device will be prevented from rotating about the axis ofthe rotor shaft 16 and thus eliminating the need for contra rotatingrotors or other stabilizing devices for counteracting any tendency forthe body to turn about the axis of shaft 16 due to torque developed inturning the rotor. Also, the tubing 32 enables a certain amount ofcontrol of the helicopter by the operator holding the tubing adjacentthe valve 33, whereby the helicopter may be moved into differentlocations. In practice, a tubing of soft aluminum approximately 15 feetlong, having a inch outside diameter and a /s inch inside diameter, hasbeen found to work satisfactorily and yet may be easily rolled into aroll for storage of the device.

It has been found that by manipulating the valve 33 to vary the Waterpressure against the turbine wheel, the device may be made to raise orlower as desired. Also by twisting or turning the tubing, the helicoptermay be made to assume various attitudes and to move into differentdesired positions relative to the operator.

By adjusting the deflector 26 in or out relative to the shell, thedeflection of the water thereby may be varied as desired.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing that the device isattractive to children particularly, so that they may be easily inducedto operate the same as a ground sprinkling device. In fact, the devicemay be used exclusively as a toy if desired. In the latter case, thedeflector 26 may be removed entirely in which case the water passingthrough the passage will emerge downwardly as a stream.

Although we have described our invention in detail and have thereforeused certain specific terms and languages herein, it is to be understoodthat the present disclosure is illustrative rather than descriptive andthat changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claim appendedhereto.

Having thus described the invention, what we desire to secure by UnitedStates Letters Patent is:

A captive flying helicopter comprising a hollow body, a rotor rotatableon said body, a turbine wheel in body and operably connected to saidrotor, the opposite sides of. said body having portions extendingadjacent diametrically opposite tips of said turbine Wheel, theremainder of saidsides extending away from said turbine wheel, jetforming means on said body adjacent one of said body portions fordirecting a stream of water against said turbine wheel, a semi-rigidtubing conneoted'to said last mentioned means for conveying waterthereto under pressure, said tubing being of sufiici'ent rigidity toconstrain said body from rotating about the axis of said rotor due totorque developed between said turbine wheel and said stream and toenable adjustment of the angle of said rotor relative to the horizon,means operatively connected to said tubing for controlling the flow ofwater to said jet forming means, means on said body forming awaterconveying passage for conveying spent water 4 r from said turbine wheeldownwardly in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of saidrotor, said last mentioned means having an inlet directed toward saidturbine wheel and at least substantially in line with said jet formingmeans, and an outlet directed downwardly through said body.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,497,555 Donaldson et a1. June 10, 1924 2,535,723 Coombs Dec; 26, 19502,676,013 Walker Apr. 20, 1954 2,754,147 Dell July 10, 1956 2,789,009Maraccini Apr. 16, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 616,997 Great Britain Jan. 31,1949 OTHER REFERENCES Jbur'nn, Jude 1958, page 56A. 7

